Céad Blíaín ag Fás – Creggan Centenary book launch

***Paddy McAteer (who wrote the 1990 book) Ulster President Ciarán McLaughlin, editor Teresa Daly and club chairman Terry Robb at the launch of the Creggan Centenary book***–***Céad Blíaín ag Fás***

All roads led to Creggan pavilion on the evening of Thursday 30^th May where Kickhams GAC launched their centenary history book An Creagán. The first history club book which covered up to 1990 was incorporated into the latest edition edited by Teresa Daly and the result is a most comprehensive publication covering every aspect of the club’s history and life in the locality up to the present day. Being a club which has from its inception has always promoted Football, Hurling and Camogie and latterly Ladies Football, there was a vast quantity of material to consider especially from more recent times, and Teresa has performed a great service to the club in her portrayal of the last 30 years

The evening began with Club Chairman Terry Robb welcoming the guests and other attendees and thanking Teresa Daly and Patrick McAteer for their work. This was followed by a rendition of the song Slievenamon written by the club’s patron Charles Joseph Kickham, and performed by the local Scór na nÓg singers.

A presentation followed by Patrick McAteer which explained the historical context which existed locally in 1924 when Jimmy Kelly, the local blacksmith, Pádraig Mac Namee a Gaelic scholar from South Armagh who taught in Creggan School, and others decided that the time was ripe to establish a GAA club in the area. The Ulster Chairman, Ciarán McLaughlin also addressed the crowd, praising the publication and emphasizing the important role of the GAA in modern society.

Paddy Marrion, Paddy McAteer, Ciaran McLaughlin ( Chairman of the Ulster Council) with descendants of the club founder – Fergal McCann, Caitrin Graham, Lucy Coughlin who received special presentations at the Creggan Centrenary book launch.

As the evening progressed, it was an emotional moment when Terry Robb invited three young people who are active in the club to step forward and be awarded with special club badges. These were descendants, after a number of generations, of the original founders of the club. Another nice touch was the unveiling of a high quality cup, missing for many years, which was won by St Olcan’s Primary school Creggan in 1924 and 1925 in the Randalstown primary schools league organisied by Father Lynch.

The book is available to buy at £30 by approaching anyone in the club committee.